By what names are they known?
The pygmy marmoset ( Cebuella pygmaea ) can be called chichico, pocket or red-skinned monkey , lion marmoset or lion monkey, depending on the area.
What is your size?
The pygmy marmoset is the smallest monkey in the New World and one of the smallest monkeys in the world. Adults are 12 to 16 cm long and weigh between 85 to 140 g. These monkeys are so small that they can fit in a human hand and weigh as much as a deck of cards or a baseball.
Where they live?
Marmosets inhabit the tropical lowlands of the forests of the western Amazon , shared between Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil. They prefer rainforests or mature forests made up of reeds, tall grasses, vines, shrubs, and young trees, which they can climb up to 40 meters in height.
What do they eat?
Marmosets are omnivores , that is, they feed on animal and plant species. They have been observed consuming grasshoppers, wild bees, moths, daytime butterflies, dragonflies, and lizards; as well as sap from some species of plants, in which they open holes with their teeth to absorb it for several days. Something curious is that when they find a food source they emit a characteristic sound.
How are they socially organized?
They usually live in groups of five individuals on average . Families led by an alpha adult couple.
How do they communicate?
They can do it physically, vocally and chemically to protect their families and mark their territories. They are able to make facial expressions to show surprise, fear and joy through various movements using their lips, eyelids, and hair. Additionally, male pygmy marmosets arch their backs and strut to show dominance or when they feel threatened. They also emit various vocalizations , making high-pitched, chattering trills to communicate. For example, when a pygmy marmoset makes a loud warble with its mouth open, this is a sign of danger, like a predator, but a high-pitched warble with its mouth closed is used for recognition. To humans, these vocalizations can sound similar to bird calls. Some calls are so high-pitched that the human ear cannot hear them. Finally, pygmy marmosets use scent to mark their territory and attract mates.
What predators do they have?
Marmosets face many dangers. They are preyed upon by the capuchin monkey, the ocelot, the tigrillo, the jaguarundi, birds of prey and large snakes. However, thanks to their social organization, in the presence of predators they use the mobbing strategy, in which everyone defends themselves from the attacker until he retreats. Sometimes they remain motionless until the danger passes.
Are they threatened?
Although they are only classified as “vulnerable species” according to the IUCN Red List, the deforestation of their habitats for agricultural and livestock purposes, together with the illegal traffic to sell them as pets, is seriously affecting their populations and the entire ecosystem, since they act as seed dispersers, spreading the seeds of the fruit they eat throughout the forest.
Referencias: Western Pygmy Marmoset. (2020, December). New England Primate Conservancy. https://www.neprimateconservancy.org/western-pygmy-marmoset.html
